Omen of Darkness
I opened my eyes to a bright beam of light. As soon as my mind cleared, I let out a ragged breath. Out of habit, I spat out a curse.
"Fuck."
The sky was still pouring down its blade-like sunlight. Night hadn't come yet. I held my breath and focused on my hearing, but not even the barbarians' roars reached me. It felt like time itself had stopped in the world.
It's quiet around here.
I pushed myself up. Extending my senses, I scanned the surroundings. Not a single sign of life. I'd probably wiped out all the nearby recallers. No roars, no presence at all—it was certain. This should hold for a while.
I pulled water from my subspace pouch and drank, then ate some bread. As the hunger faded, vitality surged through my body. I recalled the bursting sound that had echoed inside me before I blacked out. By now, I was familiar enough to know exactly what it meant.
As expected, a new ability had appeared in my status window. Combat Breathing [P].
"So this was it."
Right before blacking out, my breathing had eased, and the air had tasted sweet. It must have been the effect of this Combat Breathing. I'd acquired another skill through action, it seemed.
Curious, I focused on the sensation inside me. This new ability felt very different from Insight or Swiftness. It wasn't something I willed out—it was an instinct that drew itself forth. Like a tattoo etched into my bones and muscles. Maybe it eased breathing in urgent situations like combat.
I tested it with a few sprints in place, and certainty settled in. My breath definitely came easier, less labored. I'd pushed Swiftness beyond its limits so much that my lungs felt like they were bursting, and that's how I'd gained this.
"...Hoo."
I caught my breath and stood. After checking my rapier and loosening up, a line of light text popped up out of nowhere.
SongOfTheJoints has sent you a gift.
Accept the gift?
"......What?"
Totally out of the blue. Why a gift all of a sudden?
I accepted and opened it. Sure enough, it was a pouch of gold coins—3,000 gold, no small amount.
3,000 gold is two months' pay for Scavenger. Just how loaded is this person?
I fired up the gallery right away and posted.
Whisper was still off. I'd turned it on briefly after hitting the 98th floor, but from goniks to floaters, everyone kept checking in, so it got annoying and I shut it down.
SongOfTheJoints had been busy enjoying youth lately and rarely used the gallery. But she responded fast this time. Guess she'd been watching since she planned to send the gift.
Last time? Rough times? Oh. She must mean the 99th floor.
Makes sense—she's old, so grandkids fit.
I'm not one to turn down goodwill, so I thanked her first.
I couldn't help worrying. Part of me was curious too. Just how much money did she have to throw it around like water? How much was she making to casually gift huge sums like this every time?
She still felt grateful to me. From the day we traded until now. A steadfast person.
Cultural difference? Geomseong was clueless about gallery features, but SongOfTheJoints had it down pat. She probably noclipped here from a world with advanced tech.
More personality difference than culture, maybe.
Thinking back on Geomseong's lack of common sense, it was like she'd been kidnapped here without much real-world experience. Or a genius in one area, clumsy in others.
As I went to close the gallery, a few goniks had commented. Others were curious about my situation too. I chatted casually with a few, then talked with MaxLevelRabbit.
Is this shade?
What the hell does that mean?
I already knew about the central jar—I'd seen mine. It was village well-sized. Big, wide, deep. I'd assumed everyone else's was the same.... Guess my situation was way off.
Others in the gallery must not have grinded as hard as me.
I almost cursed but held back.
I listened intently. Potential if it's the first one. And 200 years ago counts as recent?
In the end, that snowball Orkan rolled again. Sick of it. Fucking barbarian psychos.
Afterward, MaxLevelRabbit thanked me for the info and sent 500 gold. Offered more if I snapped a central pic, but I passed—too lazy, and it was a trek from the cave anyway.
"This one's loaded too."
Handing over 500 gold for info like that? Serious wealth. That's Scavenger's 10 days' pay.
"...Rich get richer, poor get poorer here too."
Made sense. Immortality outside direct death. Maybe worse than Earth....
I used their gold to buy food and water at auction. Filling my subspace pouch snugly eased my mind.
Day 10.
If Scavenger was right, today was the last. Waking in the cave, Orkan's roar hit immediately.
"Valhalla opens—! Pile blood and bone—!"
"Odin, behold the battlefield—!"
"Pierce the enemy's heart, hang it at Valhalla's gate—!"
"Warriors' blood dyes today—!"
I clawed my hair in irritation.
"Fucking Valhalla bastards. Barbarian psychos."
Odin was definitely insane.
"Crazy fuck Odin."
I didn't hesitate like yesterday. Luring the barbarian legion toward the jar site as I headed central, I ran into a recaller mimicking Orkan.
"Demon—! Found you at last!"
"Ha."
"Odin—! Witness this battlefield—!"
That damn Odin again.
"Odin motherfucker."
Orkan's face flushed red.
"You dare! Defile the sacred one's name—! Your head on my axe tip...!"
"Shut up. Get to Valhalla."
I dispatched it and kept moving. Barbarians swarmed every path to central. I handled them effortlessly. Thanks to Combat Breathing? Chaining Swiftness was manageable. No burning lungs—deep, steady breaths.
Not bad.
Feeling some leeway as I pressed on, a subtle shift hit. The needle-like sunlight dimmed a tone, cool air currents seeping from all sides.
No way...
I stopped and looked up. Shadows on the ground stretched long, spreading everywhere. Far sky, faint purple bled in, gnawing the day's hue.
"Finally."
Night had come at last.